When my family and I were travelling in Asia last month, one of the places we stayed at smelled faintly of cigarette smoke. The smell was stronger in some places than others and seemed to come out of the vents, but we ignored it as we started to organize our things and settle into the room. The longer we stayed in the room the less noticeable the smell was, but in one spot it was so strong that we ended up requesting to change our rooms. It was only when we reached our new room that I realized how big of a difference the smoke had made.
This reminded me of conviction. When God convicts us for the first time, it’s noticeable and distinct; it can make us uncomfortable. If we choose to ignore the nudges and live with them instead, over time we’ll notice that we no longer feel those same convictions. It doesn’t necessarily mean they went away, but our hearts are no longer sensitive to hear what God wants to say.
Conviction is hard! You have to admit that you’re wrong, and no one likes to do that. However, God doesn’t convict you to turn you away or make you feel shame. God convicts you so you can turn back to Him. “The difference between guilt and conviction is that guilt causes you to run away from God, but conviction causes you to run toward Him.” – Gabe probably.
Sometimes we feel guilty when God convicts us, but God doesn’t want that to stop you from coming back to Him. Growth happens when God convicts and we listen. It took more effort to pack up and move all of our things to another room, but choosing to move meant that we would have a better stay. It takes effort to respond with repentance when we are convicted, but choosing to do that brings you closer to God. His arms are always open wide for us.
In our journey of increasing our faith, let our hearts be softened to hear God’s voice when He speaks and let us be humble enough to turn back to Him when He convicts us. When was the last time you felt God convict you of something?